Inaccuracy issues raise concerns about immediate penalties for drunk driving.
The Alberta government is going to mark Canada Day by rolling out its tough new drinking-and-driving law.
In doing so, Alberta will become the first province to institute indefinite suspensions for drivers who blow a breathalyzer reading that exceeds .08. The new drunk driving law will include an immediate licence suspension, and drivers won’t get their licence back until the charges have been resolved.
Concerns about the accuracy of roadside breathalyzer tests have some merit based on the sometimes machines’ spotty track record. A Canadian Press story in December detailed an investigation of breathalyzer accuracy by Vancouver lawyer Paul Doroshenko, whose research turned up problems with machines in several B.C. communities including Vancouver, Abbotsford, Whistler, Kitimat, Kamloops and Port Moody.
Read more: http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/opinions/drunk-driving-law-needs-tweaking-62112.html